2005 Game of the Year: Graphics

Independent games are often looked at as being a step below the mainstream when it comes to graphics.  However that isn't necessarily the case as the images below attest. 

In fact, as graphic tools become cheaper, Independent games look better and better.  This year shows off another solid group of games that look absolutely stunning...in fact your system may be straining just to show you the beauty.

5th Place - AstroAvenger

Developer: Sahmon Studio		Players: 1
Website	Download		Purchase
System Requirements: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, Pentium III 700MHz or equivalent, 64MB RAM, DirectX9.0, 3D card with 32MB RAM

AstroAvenger will bring most systems to their knees.  If you don't have a solid video card you shouldn't even bother downloading this space blast-a-thon.

So what do you get with all of that card crunching graphic force?  AstroAvenger is an overhead shooter that appears to be using an updated version of the same engine that won 3D Airstrike the Game of the Year award for Graphics in 2003. 

The multiple levels of space moving below your ship have never looked so real, with so many moving masses that you seem to be continually moving through beautifully drawn nebulas.  The planets that give backdrop to most of the game's levels are also huge and absolutely gorgeous!  Add to the mix well-modeled ships that break apart into multiple fiery explosions and you have a wonderful looking shooter in the grand tradition of great looking games.

4th Place - Supremacy: 4 Paths to Power

Developer: Black Hammer Games		Players: 1-2
Website
System Requirements: 800 MHZ, Windows 2000/XP, 128 mb RAM, 64 mb 3D Video Card, DirectX 9.0+

It's a rare year where we have so many great strategy games that a fantastic game like Supremacy doesn't even make the list for the best strategy game of the year.

While it may have been narrowly beat out for being one of the best strategy games this year, it earns a solid place as one of the best looking games this year.

Space games always set the stage for beautiful vistas looking through the far-reaches of the galaxy, and Supremacy delivers with more than just the beautiful space visuals.

The game takes place both in space and on the various planets with a variety of well-designed units that are each superbly modeled and fit perfectly in the many environments created for the different worlds.  The game also has a series of characters, including the Resident-Evil-looking character in the screen above, which further add to the tremendous visuals in this solid game.

3rd Place - Tribal Trouble

Developer: Oddlabs		Players: 1-6
Website	Download		Purchase
System Requirements: MacOS X / Linux /Windows NT/2000/XP, Java, 700MHz CPU, GeForce 2 MX or better, 128 MB of RAM

In every way possible from gameplay to graphics Tribal Trouble has done more with less.  Just like the gameplay that focuses on just the basics of strategy, the graphics in the game are really quite simple when you get down to it.

Zooming in on each of the characters reveals crude polygon shapes that aren't too far from the very simple people that inhabit the Black and White world.

These characters though are certainly better skinned, and the visual environment they live in is full of beauty and variety. 

However, while the graphics may lack a little detail up close they still look good, and Tribal Trouble's low-poly models let the game have huge battles that have hundreds of characters falling by the axe (or the spear!).  These battles are a wonder to behold, and while they are not quite up to Lord of the Rings in scope they still look tremendous.

2nd Place - Darwinia

Developer: Introversion Software		Players: 1
Website
System Requirements: Windows 98/XP/2000, 600Mhz, GeForce2 graphics card, 128mb RAM, DirectX 9+ (Mac and Linux versions available as well)

The visuals in Darwinia seem to spring from a dream, melding the real into a world of computer polygons in a way that sucks players into the computer and leaves them gasping for air at their surroundings.

While the minimalist style and simple approach to many of the characters that populate the world clearly show that more detail could have been put into each object, it is the style of the game and how the lack of detail was used that give this game such a distinctive visual look. 

The always-brooding sky along with the shading of the land masses create a continual sense of the peril in the world you are in, and the combination of retro with state of the art is an absolute wonder to behold.

2005 Game of the Year: Graphics - Mythic Blades

Developer: Vermillion Entertainment		Players: 1-2
Website	Download		Purchase
System Requirements: Win 98/ME/2000/XP, 600Mhz, 64 MB RAM, 32 MB Video Card

Mythic Blades is one of those games that, when you glance at the screenshots, makes you wonder whether it is an Indie title or a mainstream title.  While the screenshots are nice, where this game really shines is in motion, with wonderfully attractive backgrounds and effects that make it stick out in the Independent crowd.

The backgrounds are fantastic throughout the game and the detail taken in skinning the various characters is especially noticeable close up where they look very realistic, with carefully drawn pieces of armor (and on the women there isn't even much of that) contrasting with solid skin tones and shading.

Fighting games are a rarity in Independent gaming and the high bar set by Mythic Blades is likely to discourage future fighting games from even going into development. 

Just looking at the gorgeous visuals in this game is enough to make you want to give it a go with the best that mythology has to offer and we certainly wouldn't want to displease the heroes in this game by not awarding it the 2005 Game of the Year Graphics award.

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By: Russell Carroll
Posted: Thursday December 22, 2005